


Akhzâr

by Morgyn Leri (morgynleri)



Series: Agnu Ra Nutû [43]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, GFY, Gen, Murder, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2014-06-28
Packaged: 2018-02-06 13:05:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1859070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgynleri/pseuds/Morgyn%20Leri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"My cousin might have been merciful if it had been him in my place, even my uncle," Éowyn says as she looks down at the bloodied corpse. "I cannot be, and I will not be."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Akhzâr

The anger in Théodwyn's eyes is a blazing, naked flame that makes Merry hide a flinch, and look up again toward the top of the tower, and the woman held at the edge there. She is paler even than Théodwyn, and slim with youth. Her expression is harder to see, so far away, but Merry can easily imagine it being as terrifyingly wrathful as that of Théodwyn.

"Can you make the shot?" Tauriel's voice is an almost inaudible whisper behind Merry, to the dwarf with the bow - Kíli, Merry thinks he heard him called earlier. "Or should I?"

"Neither of us is that good." Kíli sounds rather irritated at that, though Merry doesn't see how it's anything wrong, even if it is bad to not be able to save the princess. "Not with a bow, not at this distance."

"I wasn't planning to use a bow." There's a smirk in Tauriel's tone, and Merry can hear the amusement creep back into Kíli's when he replies.

"I think a knife gives the damned beast too much warning." Kíli is studying the tower while Théodwyn and Gandalf exchange words with the wizard - coldly furious ones from Théodwyn, and gently persuasive ones from Gandalf, whatever good either of them will do. "How fast do you think we could climb the tower?"

"Not fast enough, if we're starting from the base. And asking the aid of an Ent will give the game up too fast." Tauriel sounds disgruntled. "I can see to ensure your aim is true, you know. We need a better vantage point."

"Might do." Kíli lets out a quiet hum. "You think they'll keep the wizard distracted enough?"

"Hopefully."

Merry doesn't turn to see what they're doing, because he knows what they need right now. A big distraction, and he and Pippin could do that. It's like being part of a very large prank, he thinks, as he pokes his cousin.

"Pippin." He pokes Pippin again. "You listening?"

"I was." Pippin turns to grin at him, before darting across the party, Merry quickly giving chase, the two of them shouting at the top of their lungs. Nothing distracts better than a loud, moving target.

* * *

Éowyn twists as the arrow brushes her ear, burying itself in the skull of the orc holding her, diving for the center of the roof and the trapdoor there, feeling the wet slide of blood where the knife breaks her skin despite the orc being dead, and letting out her breath in a whoosh when the corpse lands on her. Better than being dragged over the edge with it, but still annoying, as she has to wiggle out from under it.

Pushing to her feet, she glares down at the corpse for a moment, then takes its sword. Better armed with an orc's weapon than unarmed entirely. She has to find Théodred before she tries to escape, has to bring her cousin out of this with her, if he lives - and she has to believe he lives, until she sees his body. If he hasn't, she failed in the one task she set herself when the battle at the Ford went horribly wrong.

There aren't any orcs in her way as she makes her way down the stairs to the first level below the roof, checking every room for any sign of her cousin. None on any floor she searches, though there is also no sign of Théodred. She hears someone speaking as she creeps down the stairs, listening for a long moment before she identifies the one as the wizard, and another as her mother.

Tightening her grip on the sword, she pads as quietly as she can toward the voices, her eyes narrowing when she sees the wizard on a balcony. His staff is in shards about his feet, but he still refuses to leave the tower, to surrender to those who stand at the base.

Éowyn stills for a long moment, watching and waiting before she moves, her footsteps light, and the arc of the sword as perfect as she can manage with an unfamiliar weapon - her own sword must be deeper in the tower than she's yet searched. The wizard turns, and the sword caves in his skull rather than cleaving through flesh and bone as she had hoped, but it still achieves his death.

"My cousin might have been merciful if it had been him in my place, even my uncle," Éowyn says as she looks down at the bloodied corpse. "I cannot be, and I will not be."

She still must find Théodred, and would prefer to also find her sword, but she thinks she can now search with a lighter heart, to know the one who had set orcs upon Rohan, and had ordered her uncle's death, is himself dead at her hands. Wergild for Rohan.

**Author's Note:**

> Title means "anger", and is updated because the new dictionary actually had a word for it.


End file.
